Patreon Review and Tips for You

Welcome to our Patreon review. In this review, we will discuss the basics of the Patreon crowdfunding platform, so you can decide if this particular platform is best for your venture.

This is a crowdfunding site that caters to artists and online people who create content and want to make a business out of it. That is, they use the campaign to earn money for themselves to keep their art going, and the backers are happy to do so because they like the content that is coming out.

This platform is different from the big guys like Kickstarter or Indiegogo it support the content of whomever’s creating it and make payments that are deducted automatically from the accounts in exchange for the content. This platform is definitely suited toward the creative types of the universe-singers, artists, viral video makers, and writers, among others.

Services You Get

The creator of this platform was an artist whose videos were getting loads of views, but the ad revenue on YouTube was bringing in sums that were not commensurate with a video getting literally millions of views. Patreon was then started in 2013 as a means to give artists a place to monetize their hard work. You will categorize your art into one of many categories when you sign up to this site. Some examples are Video and Film, Games, Dance & Theatre, Music and Comics.

There is no penalty for choosing the “wrong” category, as you can make whatever it is you like so long as others are willing to pay for it. This is a great setup for entrepreneurs or other teams of creative content makers who are producing output on a regular basis.

Experts’ Help Available

Making content is hard work in and of itself, but you have to make sure your description will stand out to make your backers care about your output and contribute their funds. Some platforms, like CrowdfundingBum, has teams of expert writers who will make your information stand out. Options like this are also great for entrepreneurs who simply don’t have a lot of time to be writing decent-looking campaigns.

This is also not the platform for projects that aren’t creative. For instance, if your cause is a medical emergency or charitable projects you should consider Indiegogo or GoFundMe. Patreon is rather narrow in its approach to what can be funded but does provide a great place for artists and other creative types to get their work funded.

In this regard, you can enjoy lesser restriction on content-evidenced by the sometimes political nature of the artists on Patreon or the edgy music projects you might find there. However, some note that the company has been getting tighter on what is allowed to be funded on their website.

Fees You Pay

In Patreon, you pay the following fees and follow these restrictions:

Your funding duration is unlimited

You pay per month or per project

Your platform fee is 5%

Your payment processing fee is 5%

The 5% fee is not so bad; it is pretty standard compared to the other platforms. PayPal and Stripe are the payment processors of choice on this particular organisation. And, they do charge a fee for each donation.

They come out to being 5% or less, we found. Nonetheless, these fees do add up, and artists have a lot of expenses as it is. One thing to consider is that CrowdfundingBumcharges no platform fees. So, you can enjoy that savings and pocket more of your money for use on your artwork.

You also do have to think about the payout fees that are involved, too. These are fees you pay when you move funds over from the creator balance to the bank account or PayPal account that you keep on file.

They don’t cost a lot, at only $.25 for every deposit for creators in the USA. Or, for PayPal, you pay $.25 or one percent of what is transferred, no more than $20 per deposit.

Keeping People Updated

To keep your backers satisfied, you will want to make sure you make regular posts. Make them available to be viewed by all or just certain patrons. You can get monthly payments or payments made once a project is completed. You can set goals that will be reached once enough funds have been received, reminiscent of other crowdfunding sites.

It is recommended that you offer some rewards to your patreons. Becasue this helps retain them and keep your cash flow going. In the Patreon vs. CrowdfundingBum debate, CrowdfundingBum does offer built-in backers, so that is one thing to consider if it seems like getting people to stick with you is a bit of a challenge.

If you know that you’re okay with offering rewards, consider doing things that don’t cost a bundle, like hosting a Q & A session, offering special photo or video messages, or a personalized email sent to your fan with a special message inside.

How to Apply

Applying here is pretty darn easy. You have to enter your account, link your social media accounts, and set up a payment method. After this, you can earn money for your work. It is really that easy!

One thing we did notice is that Patreon is pretty open about all its fees and such; we never had to scour the fine print to find out if there were any hidden fees. It is recommended you do review everything and ask questions, however-so that you understand how it works.

Customer Service

One thing that was not so great about Patreon was the length of time. It takes for them to get back to you about a question. Email is the only way to reach them. And, it can take DAYS for them to get back to you with an answer due to their high volume of requests. They are still growing, however, so this is understandable, but still frustrating nonetheless.

Summing It Up

If you seek a creative place to grow your art and get funding for it, this is the place to be. Artists can come into their own here. On the other hand, charitable organizations are better off another platform like GoFundMe.

Final thoughts.

Before you go running off to Patreon, we hope you stick around a while to find out more about all that Crowdfunding Bum has to offer. You will find ample reasons to choose us as your funding source.